Chasing the Monsoon's 'No Ordinary World' - Album Review

While I am not exactly sure when the progressive rock project Chasing the Monsoon was first announced, I can say with certainty that I have been aware of it since at least 2010. I, like many others I am sure, came across Chasing the Monsoon via the Welsh progressive rock act Karnataka - a band which I finally took the plunge with by pre-ordering their fourth album The Gathering Light in 2010. I had been aware of the band for a while, and had intended to check them out at the 2009 iteration of the Cambridge Rock Festival but, for reasons I cannot quite remember, their set was cancelled at the last minute despite the band being on site. It was the following year with The Gathering Light then that I finally was bitten by the Karnataka bug - and they are a band that I have been a big fan of ever since. Around the time that I was just getting acquainted with The Gathering Light, I remember reading updates from Karnataka's founding member and main songwriter Ian Jones about another project of his called Chasing the Monsoon - and these updates have continued sporadically over the past decade or so, often with lengthy gaps in between them. It is clear from this bit of background that Chasing the Monsoon has been a labour of love for Jones, and others, for a good number of years - and I could not quite believe it earlier this year when the project's debut album No Ordinary World was made available to pre-order. Until the CD dropped through my letterbox however I was not quite prepared to believe that No Ordinary World actually existed, but lo and behold one day it appeared! Despite the album's long gestation, I was still not really sure what to expect from it. I was not expecting it to sound like Karnataka, despite Jones being one of the project's main constituent parts, but what the album is is a real mix of different sounds and styles. The main musical core of the band is made up of three multi-instrumentalists, with Jones being joined by Steve Evans and Ian Simmons. While Jones largely handles the bass, Evans the keyboards, and Simmons the guitars - in truth all three seem to be responsible for a bit of everything. As a result the album is a real collective effort, with Evans even programming all of the drum and percussion parts, that showcases the three musicians perfectly. The vocals throughout are largely handled by former Karnataka frontwoman Lisa Fury, who also sung on The Gathering Light but left the band soon after its release, although Evans also adds his vocals to a few of the songs. Fury's distinct vocal style does make a couple of the songs sound like long-lost The Gathering Light outtakes, but on the whole the album is truly its own beast. Guests like the folk instrument master Troy Donockley (Iona; Nightwish) and another Karnataka alumnus in guitarist Enrico Pinna really add some sparkle to a few of the songs, and help contribute to an experience that is quite unlike anything I have experienced previously.

The ten-track album opens with the band's self-titled piece, a relatively short, mostly instrumental song that opens with swirling weather effects and Simmons' eerie guitar swells. Many of the songs here are fairly lengthy, so this opening piece is relatively concise by comparison but it does a good job of introducing the listener to many of the album's key sounds. Simmons' guitar is all over the track, while Jones adds a busy bassline and Evans contributes a dense layer of keyboards. Despite the eerie start, the guitar playing is largely fairly up-beat with some excellent phrasing - that at times recalls David Gilmour's famous control. Evans add some distant lead vocals during brief moments, but on the whole the piece is all about the band laying out their musical pallet. Circles of Stone then is the first 'proper' song on the album - with Fury's soft voice kicking things off before a laid back percussion loop adds a grove. Evans' piano carries the piece on its shoulders, while Jones strums away on an acoustic guitar and Donockley adds some folky magic. Fury largely plies her trade in a Fleetwood Mac tribute band these days, so it is great to hear her singing this kind of music once again. Her voice really dominates the song, with her relatively low delivery of the song's meat contrasting well with some higher-pitched wordless sections that add to the song's Celtic vibe. As is the case with many of the songs on this album, the piece gradually grows as it progresses. The piano and acoustic guitar remain throughout, but both Simmons and Pinna add some soaring guitar leads later on - just as Fury's vocal performance starts to get a little more dramatic. It fades out on a mournful burst of flute from Donockley, which leads perfectly into the ethnic tinges of Dancing in the Afterglow. As with many great albums, this is one that flows perfectly - with one song seamlessly transitioning into the next while each still retains their own identity. Jones has always stated that the project contains some world music influences, and Dancing in the Afterglow is probably the track that showcases them the strongest with some African chanting early on, strong percussion loops, and a powerful Jones bassline. The opening portion of the song is largely instrumental, save for the chanting, with Simmons really laying into his guitar for some cutting leads. His playing soars, and fits in nicely with the dark, tribal vibes of the piece. The second part of the song is much more laid back, with rich keyboard textures and more of a focus on vocals. The strong beats remain, but Evans' slightly strange voice becomes the focus - with Fury adding harmonies. It works well to introduce Evans as a singer, and again transitions nicely into Dreams - probably my favourite song here. Dreams is easily the most Karnataka-esque piece here, and could have easily sat on The Gathering Light. Fury takes the lead vocally, and her delicate melodies, especially during the chorus, are very reminiscent of her work with Jones' band. While not exactly a hard rocking track, there is certainly more of Karnataka's muscle here with Simmons and Pinna adding a weightier guitar presence alongside a punchy drum pattern. Many of the songs here, to me at least, are more meandering and play with structure to create interesting arrangements. Dreams however feels a bit more conventional, with a memorable chorus and a greater focus generally on the vocals. There is also a lengthy, stunning guitar solo that is packed full of emotional note choices and phrases - all of which contribute to the over punch of the song.

Into the Light is the album's only song to feature Evans singing alone, and he really demonstrates his worth as a vocalist here. While I came to this album via Jones, I have a feeling that Evans may be the main driving force behind the project. He acted as the album's producer, and also was the main arranger of the music - with Jones helping out in this aspect on a few of the songs. His voice took me a little while to get used to, but it has grown on me over repeated listens to the album. He actually sounds a bit like Jon Anderson sometimes, and on this song in particular he demonstrates that ability perfectly. Despite a dense, keyboard-heavy opening, the song is actually fairly jaunty with upbeat acoustic guitar passages, retro-sounding proggy synths, and the odd burst of soaring lead guitar. Evans' vocals are actually extremely uplifting here, and combined with everything else the song ends up sounding a bit like the musical embodiment of the season of spring - with the sun peeking out again after a long winter. It is easily the most overtly upbeat and whimsical song here, and acts as a nice break from the dense soundscapes and complex arrangements that are present elsewhere. Innocent Child opens with a big rumbling keyboard note, the soon opens out to reveal a cold-sounding soundscape that pulses and shimmers with a mixture of keyboard textures and programmed beats. The Gilmour comparisons soon return again, with a burst of soaring spacey lead guitar, before Fury takes over singing over a simple keyboard backing. This is another song that could have been on The Gathering Light, with Fury's voice pushed to the fore throughout and a slight focus on more conventional arrangements. There is still a lot going on here though, and Simmons and Pinna take every opportunity that they can here to solo. The stand-out moment occurs part way through the song, when one of the two launches into one of the album's best solos - while Evans lays down a hypnotising keyboard melody in the background to perfectly compliment the soaring notes. Fury does a fantastic job with her moments in the spotlight, but for me this is a song that is owned by the guitarists - with the solos here being some seriously jaw-dropping moments. December Sky opens with Donockley's folky additions, with flute and whistles making a cacophony of noise, before a dark-sounding beat kicks off with Jones' strong bass presence adding weight. None of this album is heavy, but this song has a certain darkness that is not as present elsewhere. The album as a whole is a roller coaster of emotions and textures, and for me this is one of the darkest pieces present. The keyboards have such a dense feeling to them, but the vocal melodies - largely from Fury - are little lights in the darkness. There are other bursts of melody, such as sparkly piano motifs and electronics, but on the whole this is a piece that is content to build itself around a simple groove and a dark emotion that just envelopes everything. There are shades of some of Anathema's recent work in the song, which is a comparison that is also apt elsewhere throughout the album.

Lament acts as a bit of a calm before the storm. It is fairly short instrumental, save for some wordless vocals from Fury, piece that has a very organic sound - and helps the listener to rest up a little before the album's final two lengthy songs. It is a very simple song, with Jones and Simmons both teaming up to lay down the folky acoustic guitar lines, while Donockley joins the fray with his uilleann pipes - an instrument that always sound so at home in the modern organic prog world. It is his playing and Fury's wordless vocals that provide the bulk of the melodies here, while the project's main three musicians create the backing tapestry with their acoustic guitars and keyboards. It is a nice intro to Love Will Find You, which takes over when the acoustic instruments drop out to be replaced by a simple keyboard texture and a few spacey guitar lines. When the drum pattern kicks in, the keyboards remind me a little of some of the sound effects used throughout Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds album, which gives the song a strange, futuristic vibe at times, although this is soon dispelled as soon as Fury starts singing to a melodic acoustic guitar and keyboard backing. Despite its length, the song is still fairly vocally-focused, with Fury taking a lot of the spotlight here. It is another song with more of a traditional chorus, and it is one that surfaces throughout the piece - with Fury repeating the song's title in her floaty style while the keyboards shimmer around her. There is another very lengthy guitar solo here too, which echoes the melodies from the song's intro. Simmons proves throughout this album that he is an excellent guitarist, and the long solo is one of his best. It takes up much of the album's second half, and is split into two parts straddling the final reprise of the chorus. It is again packed full of gorgeous melodies, that skip and soar above the laid back percussion loop in a sombre, yet also uplifting, way. If Love Will Find You was the album's floaty epic, then the album's title track is the more in-your-face one. It opens slowly however, with some wordless vocals and gentle guitar tones, but gradually builds up as a dense song that is the most involved on the album. Pinna and Gethin Woolcock add some additional guitars to the track, making for a three-guitar attack at times, while Fury's vocal delivery takes on a slightly moodier feeling - especially during the verses. Despite the dense feeling, there are some upbeat moments throughout. The drum patterns are certainly more kinetic than throughout the rest of the album, and Jones' bass really pumps out of the speakers, with his playing creating melodic countermelodies to Fury's sultry vocals. Evans' sparkling, electronic-sounding synths also help to add additional melodies, with a sound that is more modern and industrial than anything else on the album. They are mixed into the background, so do not dominate the overall-organic sound, but their presence certainly adds an edge to the piece. Guitar melodies slide in and out, cutting through the mix with precision, and the song's chorus which Fury delivers in her own unique style feels like the album's rallying cry. It is certainly the thing that instantly remains in the brain as the album fades to a close, and is a great advert for the overall sound and style of the album as a whole - providing the perfect close. Overall, No Ordinary World is an album that challenges the listener but is one that over time really opens up to become something special. The songs here are all strong, well crafted moments from all involved - and I am pleased that after a good number of years the album has finally seen the light of day so that we can all enjoy it.

The album was released on 20th September 2019 via Immrama Records.